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Index Who is Starin?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Starin Tools + Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Technology in Education with Starin: An Intro to this eBook . . . . . . 5 USC Video Enables Classrooms and Conference Rooms with DTEN and Zoom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 What is Virtual Reality: Everything You Need to Know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your ClassVR Headsets in 2022. . . . . . . . . 12 LG Case Study: Georgetown Embraces Integrated Technologies. . . . . . . . . . 16 SMART: The Role of an Interactive Display in Today’s Learning Environments. . . . . . . . . . 20 Two Stadiums, One Sound Solution: Electro-Voice and Dynacord System Design a Winner for Texas School District. . . . . . . . . . . 22
Advanced Network Devices Case Study: Walton Central School District. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 How Illinois Wesleyan University Utilized Huddly Cameras in Unique Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shure Case Study: Blinn College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Vivitek: Novo Ecosystem Wireless and Collaborative Presentation Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Salamander Case Study: A Southeast Oklahoma Success Story from Howe Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Logitech MeetUp Conference Camera for Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Logitech Scribe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 PTZ Optics Case Study: University of Toronto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mi Support Assurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Contact Starin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
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Who is Starin? We are the market leader in the distribution of education technology. Our experience, our partnerships and our adaptations to market
demands are the focus of our company and our mission. We help people around the world communicate and learn, by caring more and being
better. With the experience we provide and the technology we support, Starin helps its partners discover the best performance and value for
their businesses. Get in touch with one of our team members now at MyTeam@starin.biz to learn more. We’re happy to assist.
Starin Tools + Services Exclusively with Starin, we offer these services and tools to help you on your road to success. Use these as a handy shortcut by linking below.
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Technology in Education with Starin: An Intro to this eBook By Kati Thompson Starin Education Brand Manager
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the education technology landscape has changed immensely. Once strictly in-classroom learning has become a hybrid, resilient educational landscape. Now, District Admins and Tech Directors are encouraging their schools to have the capabilities to foster learning whether students and teachers are in the classroom or engaging from home.
Here at Starin, we understand the importance and need for that flexibility, and we continually strive to grow and add technology to our portfolio to support and foster student engagement. In this guide, you will find the best educational technology solutions handpicked by our inhouse education experts for audio, visual, and content sharing solutions designed and optimized for any learning environment.
The state of Hybrid learning 2022
43%
42%
of students participate in Hybrid learning*
of schools where Hybrid instruction occurs* *https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/mss-dashboard/ 5
USC Video Enables Classrooms and Conference Rooms with DTEN and Zoom By DTEN
Hands-on experience led the University of Southern California to choose DTEN as their enterprise-wide solution. Vetting new video collaboration hardware involves complex calculus: performance, reputation, durability, connectivity, user experience and cost are all key factors for consideration. Now imagine the process being accelerated from a year-long initiative to virtually overnight. USC was exactly in this scenario: their strategic digital transformation plan needed to be quickly advanced in response to COVID-19. In a recent interview, Joe Way, Director, Learning Environment at USC, explained how DTEN came to be selected in their thorough, yet fast-track, vetting process. 6
“Our classrooms and even a lot of our conference rooms did not yet have professional technologies in them for video conferencing, whiteboarding or any of those types of interactive collaboration tools,” notes Joe.
“We knew almost immediately that these DTEN units would be going everywhere, because it solved the problem.” Joe Way Director, Learning Environment at USC
Faced with the need to make rapid decisions, Joe and his team followed a pragmatic approach: inventorying user needs, evaluating product capabilities, and conducting hands-on trials. “We didn’t have any brand in mind – we were looking for solutions able to solve problems for our users,” he shares. Their trial of DTEN technology proved to be pivotal in the selection process. Joe continues, “We requested some DTENs for campus as trials. We plugged the first one in our office and it just worked. And we
“As it turns out, the combination of Zoom and DTEN provided a perfect solution.” Joe Way Director, Learning Environment at USC
“DTEN became the enterprise-wide answer,” Way concludes. “DTEN delivered an all-inknew almost immediately that these one, simple, user-friendly solution. The ability DTEN units would be going everywhere, to bring unified communications solutions because it solved the problem.” – into our classrooms, our conference rooms, our group study spaces – allowed us to “The ability to bring unified create interactive environments.” communications solutions – into our
classrooms, our conference rooms, our group study spaces – allowed us to create interactive environments.”
“As it turns out, the combination of Zoom and DTEN provided a perfect solution.” Visit dten.com for more information 7
What is Virtual Reality: Everything You Need to Know By ClassVR
Virtual Reality for Schools Virtual reality. VR. The metaverse. It’s the hot topic that everyone’s talking about… but what is virtual reality? To answer this question, we’ve put together a simple guide to get you up-to-speed on all things VR. This guide starts with the basics: what it is, why it’s so important, and later goes on to discuss how it’s transforming the world as we know it.
What is it? A Virtual Reality Definition So, the big question. What is virtual reality? The easiest way to explain virtual reality or “VR” is through your senses. Imagine you’re at the seaside. How do you know you’re by the ocean? The answer is through using your senses. You can see the water, hear the waves, feel the sand… 8
Virtual reality works in exactly the same way! You’re presented with information that your senses tell your brain are reality. The only difference is that this information is provided through technology. So instead of standing on a real beach, you’ll see a 360-degree image or video of the ocean, hear a recording of the waves, and so on. Often confused with augmented reality, where you view the real world with virtual objects enhanced onto it, virtual reality fully immerses you in computer-generated environments that feel like real life. You can see the virtual world, hear what it sounds like, and sometimes even smell, taste or touch it! To put it very literally, VR is a “virtual” version of “reality”. How does the Technology Work? An Overview of Virtual Reality Technology But how do virtual reality headsets actually work? There’s a lot of complex technology going on behind the scenes, so here’s a quick overview of everything you need to know about VR technology! In current VR headsets you’ll now find two screens – one for each eye. Your vision from your left and right eyes overlap and there’s approximately a 114-degree arc that you can see with both eyes. Virtual reality headsets
VR headsets have gyroscopic sensors that work out how you’re moving and track those movements – letting you view and explore the 360-degree scenes. improve, innovate and grow. The journey has focus on this space to deliver their virtual only just begun! environments – although no headset can accommodate the full natural field of vision… How is it used? Real Virtual Reality yet. To really make you feel like you’re in the virtual environment, VR headsets also have gyroscopic sensors that work out how you’re moving and track those movements – letting you view and explore the 360-degree scenes. Add in spatial audio to create surroundsound, and this amazing technology FULLY immerses you in the virtual space! Virtual reality technology has come a long way from the 1950s, and it’ll only continue to
Examples
Today, 1 in 3 consumers now own a VR headset, but 3.7 bilion people worldwide are locked out of VR adoption. But despite this, virtual reality technology is used in many exciting ways. The ability to simulate and explore virtual environments means VR is used to improve processes across industries and countries. Education, healthcare, tourism, manufacturing, retail… the list goes on! 9
From teaching history lessons with virtual reality in the classroom to designing cars in the automotive industry, or even using virtual reality experiences to treat chronic pain in medicine, the impacts of VR are genuinely amazing. And the impact is only going to become more important as time goes on with the introduction of the metaverse!
Virtual Reality in Education Virtual reality has the power to transform most industries, but research shows that the benefits of using virtual reality in education can be substantial, from boosting engagement and improving knowledge retention to transforming student learning outcomes.
Traditionally, students learning in schools, colleges or universities has been confined to the classroom, with the occasional field trip or visit. However, when using EdTech such as VR as a tool to deliver immersive learning, schools can open a world of educational opportunities. With a VR solution like ClassVR, designed specifically for schools, teachers can offer immersive, engaging and even impossible learning experiences for their students, right from the classroom! Can you imagine swimming with sharks, walking on the moon and stepping into fairy tales when you were in school? It’s all possible with virtual reality, and millions of 10
students around the world are experiencing this today!
What Types of Virtual Reality Headsets are Available? Now for the most important part of virtual reality… the VR headsets! VR headsets come in all shapes and sizes, but all share one thing: they fully immerse you in a virtual experience and make VR possible. There are MANY different types of virtual reality headsets, but we’re only going to focus on the all-in-one VR headsets.
All-in-One VR headsets Otherwise known as standalone headsets, these are the easiest way to experience and control virtual reality. All-in-one headsets don’t need to be connected to a computer, a smartphone, or have a constant Wi-Fi connection. All you need is the headset, as the name suggests! This includes all the technology, graphics and controls you need for fully immersive, engaging VR experiences. Simply charge the battery, turn it on, and you’re ready to start exploring. ClassVR headsets are one example of all-inone virtual reality devices. With everything fully integrated into the headset, teachers can deliver VR lessons without needing a powerful PC or an IT expert on standby. Content can be stored and explored on the ClassVR headsets, and new VR experiences are easily uploaded using the simple ‘drag and drop’ system on your web browser. Your class can then independently immerse themselves in virtual reality lessons, while the teacher monitors and controls their progress directly from the ClassVR Portal! That’s is, that’s your quick guide on virtual reality. You should now be able to answer “what is virtual reality” with confidence!
INFOGRAPHIC | VIRTUAL LEARNING
Jabra brings the school to the students World-leading professional-grade audio and unique video technology, enabling teaching and learning to happen from anywhere, at any time.
On average, educators spend 3-4 hours a day in lectures with students1
Teachers need to keep students engaged when teaching remotely
44%
of students are not satisfied with the audio or video quality of remote learning classes1
features people seek for meetings are sound quality & comfort2
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SOLUTIONS
SPEAK 750
Compact portable speakerphone offers crystal-clear audio with impressive battery life, and flexible connectivity
INTELLIGENT VIDEO SOLUTIONS PANACAST 20
UC Jabra PanaCast is compatible with leading UC platforms
PANACAST Plug-and-play panoramic4K video with a 180° field of view Wall-to-wall coverage of your teaching space
A premium 13-megapixel camera to deliver a realtime 4K Ultra-HD image that’s sharp and crystalclear Dual screen Picture-in-Picture mode for indepth demonstrations and more immersive virtual teaching
Move around freely when sharing
Intelligent Zoom and Intelligent Lighting Optimization to keep focus and create the best video experience in any surroundings
educational material
Optimized for all leading UC platforms
Easily portable and mobile
Easily portable and mobile
Jabra Customer Database Survey April 2020
1
Jabra Knowledge Worker Survey 2017
2
Education_Infographic_04112022
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© 2021 GN Audio A/S. All rights reserved. Jabra® is a registered trademark of GN Audio A/S.
5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your ClassVR Headsets in 2022 By ClassVR
Virtual Reality for Schools Looking for new and exciting ways to use your ClassVR headsets this year? We’ve got you covered! Read below for five unique and powerful ideas on how to best utilise your ClassVR headsets in 2022!
Group Work with 3D Models and ClassVR Worksheets There are thousands of resources to explore in the ClassVR library, but if you want to try something new this year, why not give our 3D models a go! From woolly mammoths to human hearts, we’ve got SO many 3D models just waiting to be explored. What’s more, you can even hold them in the palm of your hand with our ARCubes! Are you teaching about the Day and Night Cycle? Why not use the Earth and Moon model to help articulate how 12
humans experience Day and Night and ask your students to explain why one side of the moon might appear brighter than the other? Or, if you are teaching about Space, why not have a look at the Curiosity Rover and allow your students to view a 3D model that is truly out of this world! If you want to go one step further, why not try combining traditional printed worksheets with our exciting virtual and augmented reality worksheets. Students can work using our pre-made worksheets in groups and learn from each other. They can describe what they see with the group, discuss key terminology and identify and address each other’s misconceptions, then interact with the lesson using virtual and augmented reality! Check out our sample VR and AR curriculum lesson plans.
Get Creative in 3D Alongside access to the thousands of engaging 3D models and other virtual and augmented reality resources, you can also upload your own VR content to your ClassVR headsets in seconds! From creating simple shapes to complex molecules, you can do it all in Paint 3D. Once your masterpiece is finished, click ‘Save As 3D Model’ in the ‘File’ menu. This will give
you a .GLB file to upload to ClassVR, and your students can then hold and admire their work using our AR Cubes.
Provide Differentiation for Each Student With ClassVR, educators can adapt their lessons to suit the need of all students. You can divide your headsets into subgroups to easily show different students in your class different materials and resources. For example, one subgroup can view some engaging 360 images whilst others view an immersive 360 video, all delivered by creating your own unique groups. Read this article for further information on providing differentiation with ClassVR. political ideas. Or create your own personal tours and annotated videos! Working with the team from Thinglink HQ, we’ve made it as easy as possible to view Thinglink media in ClassVR! Simply select the Thinglink library on the right-hand side of the ClassVR portal, paste the share link of your chosen content from Thinglink, add the new track to your playlist using the familiar ‘drag and drop’ system, and you’re ready to go! Not a current Thinglink user? Learn more about ThingLink here.
Integrate Thinglink with ClassVR With our Thinglink integration, you can elevate your lessons to a whole new level! Access an entire world of new experiences using the hundreds of pre-made tours and videos online – from tours of historical buildings to in-depth guides on difficult
Unlock 100s of Explorable VR Experiences Last but definitely not least, you can open up endless learning opportunities in Avanti’s World – the world’s first educational virtual reality theme park! From exploring inside a human vein, walking with dinosaurs or even blasting off to the moon, there are hundreds
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of explorable VR scenes across Science, History, Geography and Literacy for your students to experience. With teacher-aligned resources and detailed reporting and assessment tools, you can easily integrate Avanti’s World into your lessons and monitor student progress with just a few clicks! What’s more, Avanti’s World is accessible on any device, anywhere – including your ClassVR headsets! Whether you’ve got a classroom full of students wearing ClassVR headsets or students based at home on web browsers, your class can always explore and collaborate in Avanti’s World. Download the ClassVR Whitepaper now to learn more
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With teacher-aligned resources and detailed reporting and assessment tools, you can easily integrate Avanti’s World into your lessons and monitor student progress with just a few clicks!
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Case Study – Georgetown Embraces Integrated Technologies By LG Business Solutions
Georgetown introduces to its faculty and students a multidimensional classroom Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1789 and is the oldest Jesuit Catholic institution of higher education in the United States. It is also among the most forward-thinking universities when it comes to applying new technology to learning. Twenty years ago, Georgetown launched its Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), one of the nation’s first higher education programs aimed at bridging pedagogy and technological innovation. “Georgetown has a long tradition of Ignation pedagogy, based on the 16thcentury teachings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola,” says Margaret Debelius, Director of Faculty Initiatives at CNDLS. “It’s this five-step process of context, experience, action, reflection and evaluation. It still stands to this day, and technology allows us to do those things a little bit differently. It 16
has expanded the ways in which we can engage in inquiry and reflection — things that are central to a Georgetown education.” In 2019, the CNDLS team wanted to re-imagine learning spaces through collaborative technology. Working with LG Business Solutions and local technology integrator CTSI, Georgetown introduced to faculty and students a multi-dimensional classroom to support small- and largegroup exploration, interactivity, distancelearning, and more. “It’s not a typical classroom,” explains Andy Bukowski, systems designer at CTSI. “From a professor’s perspective, Georgetown wanted to have a dual-display setup that could support remote participants on one screen and presentation material on the other. They also wanted a more typical singledisplay system you might see in a standard classroom. And they wanted to make it so smaller groups of students could gather around several different displays, connect and collaborate.”
Flexible Technology for Multiple Teaching Modes The final design, which first welcomed students and teachers in the fall of 2019, includes a pair of large (75-inch), 4K, interactive LG touch displays at one end of the room, a third 86-inch LG interactive 4K display at the other, and a fourth 86inch LG 4K display on one side, opposite the classroom’s bank of windows. There are Logitech cameras installed on each wall for connecting directly to Georgetown’s Zoom video conferencing system; Biamp ceiling speakers and microphone arrays for tracking speakers in the room and optimizing audio on other ends of a Zoom session; and four Mersive Solstice collaboration pods, which
“All the displays can be used by anybody in the room — instructors and students alike. They offer a collaborative space where students can work together on the same screen or multiple screens at one time” -Molly Chehak CNDLS Managing Director users can connect to wirelessly to share content on the room’s displays. “Many Georgetown classrooms have a big stage, a mothership of a desk and a screen
that’s very clearly at the front of the room,” says CNDLS Managing Director Molly Chehak. “We took out the stage and the desk so there is no front of the classroom. All the displays can be used by anybody in the room — instructors and students alike. They offer a collaborative space where students can work together on the same screen or multiple screens at one time, comparing, contrasting and collaborating. In a lecturestyle situation, a professor can use one or more as a confidence display, or set them up as a gallery walk.” One anthropology professor would start each class in a unified, centralized formation, then students would rearrange the mobile furniture to be physically near one of the room’s four displays. “They’d collaborate on a screen, then turn around and present to the rest of the class,” Chehak says. For Georgetown, it’s a real-world application of new technology to an active-learning pedagogy. “The professor’s presentation is
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about five or 10 minutes at the beginning of class,” Chehak says. “The rest of the class is experiential; it’s discovery and inquiry-based learning.”
Transparent, Intuitive Control Everything in the room is managed through a Crestron control system and touch panel, specially programmed to be as seamless as possible. According to CTSI, the biggest challenge may have been designing the system to include remote participants who would appear on the LG displays via video conferencing link. “If you’re familiar with most control systems, you basically need to leave that software to launch a Zoom session. That’s not practical for the people using the room,” says Bukowski. “We worked with Crestron and Zoom to modify the application programming interface and create intuitive buttons, so it felt seamless as the professor transitioned to conferences.” And with four different large-screen touch displays but only one classroom computer, the control system needed to manage which touch display was controlling the computer and when. “We tried to make this transparent, too,” says Bukowski. “On a graphical map showing the room’s displays, a little thumb icon indicates which touch screen is in control.” When professors initiate a video conference, they go to the touch panel, select Zoom, tell the system where they want the remote participants displayed and where they want the presentation displayed, pick the screen with the thumb and then they’re actually controlling it through the LG touchscreen display. 18
“Typically, a higher education learning space might have one of these configurations in a room,” says Bukowksi. “But we worked with the CNDLS team and our partners to make hopping in and out of different collaboration modes very intuitive.”
Faculty has been quick to adopt the classroom technology Faculty has been quick to adopt the classroom technology. When the CTSI and LG teams visited to familiarize users with the installed systems, the wireless Mersive collaboration pods, for example, were well received by faculty and students alike. Because users can connect to the pods from their smartphones and begin sharing content on the room’s LG displays, the learning curve was very minor. “I got to my third sentence and I could see them popping up content on the screens all around the room,” Bukowski says. “No one wants to lug around a laptop anymore. They’re going around with a smartphone or a tablet that’s frankly more powerful, but until recently, people didn’t really know how to put all that power to use.” Says Chehak, “The changes we made to the classroom reflect the deep shift in pedagogy and the experience of education. It’s student-centered, collaboration-centered, it’s multifaceted and needs to allow for the outside to come inside, and the inside to go outside. Technology can do that.”
LG CreateBoard™ Bringing People Together
LG’s TR3DJ whiteboard brings us together across platforms, regardless of the learning space
The TR3DJ interactive whiteboard provides a versatile platform that allows teachers to leverage the learning management system or cloud drive of their choice. Display, annotate and share content from a wide variety of sources.
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The Role of an Interactive Display in Today’s Learning Environments By SMART
Schools around the world have rapidly begun to adopt student devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones inside and outside of their classrooms. The influx of these consumer products offers great opportunities for education. Interactive displays can help both students and teachers get even more value from them.
Getting more from student devices The image of students sitting, looking down at their tablets and passively consuming content is not one that reflects 21st century learning. Engaging today’s learners means providing active learning environments where students can go beyond just scrolling or broadcasting their screens. An interactive display can add this active element, particularly if it has the ability to let students explore the teacher’s lesson at their own pace, and contribute to the lesson from their devices. To create active, student deviceenabled learning environments, 20
look for an interactive display that enables students to share ideas in engaging, meaningful ways by letting them send text and images to a shared space in the whiteboard and tagging their individual contributions. This functionality can help give students equal, active opportunities to share and develop their voice and ideas.
Remote and blended learning In remote and blended learning environments, teachers and students not only need devices to connect, they also need digital tools and content to engage in active
With the introduction of an interactive display in a classroom:
55%
more students participate in discussing ideas
learning experiences. For effective remote and blended learning, teachers need their interactive display to act as a nerve center where they can orchestrate these devices, tools, and content, as well as the learning experiences of students in and out of class. All this needs to happen in the easiest way possible.
Empower your teachers with interactive displays, purpose-built for classrooms where students learn with devices. With a high quality interactive display, teachers can share screens and whiteboards out to students and launch collaborative whiteboards for an engaging learning experience.
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Two Stadiums, One Sound Solution: ElectroVoice and Dynacord System Design a Winner for Texas School District By Electro-Voice
Southwest Building Systems delivered cost-effective service with a single system design custom-integrated into two similar stadiums. Burnsville, MN: When legendary Texas football coach Mike Spradlin joined Magnolia Independent School District in suburban Houston as Director of Athletics in 2016, he set about upgrading the football experience at the district’s high schools. Part of that plan was the installation of new video scoreboards and sound systems at both Magnolia and Magnolia West. Southwest Building Systems (Sillsbee, Texas) was engaged to design and install new sound systems at both facilities. “Our old systems were just a few horns mounted on top of the press box. They sounded terrible, and music was out of the question,” says Robert Patty, Sports Information Coordinator for the district. “We wanted to create more of a collegetype game day experience, to get the fans and players pumped up.” The goal was to deliver full, even coverage in the bleachers, with clear, high fidelity sound quality for game announcements, music, and sponsor video commercials.
Problem: Five weatherized Electro-Voice EVH and EVF loudspeakers provide fullrange coverage for 8,000-seat stadium. Solution: Dynacord C3600 amplifiers provide power, DSP and FIR-Drive speaker optimization for cohesive, full-range audio.
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“Now we can really get the place rocking, from the time the team comes out of the locker room and all through the game. ” Texas School District
Southwest Building Systems designed a PA system featuring long-throw Electro-Voice loudspeakers powered and processed by C Series amplifiers from EV’s sibling brand Dynacord. The same system was installed in both stadiums, which have virtually identical bleacher and scoreboard layouts. The system is based on three EVH-1152D/43 coaxial loudspeakers, a two-way, hornloaded design that delivers up to 139 dB SPL. This highly directional 40 x 30 version provides the tight dispersion required to deliver clear sound throughout the 8,000seat venue. Two 1152s cover the home side of the field, with the third handling the smaller visitors’ bleacher section. Two EVF-2151D subwoofers provide low frequency support. Power is provided by four Dynacord C3600 amplifiers, with integrated DSP and FIRDrive to optimize loudspeaker performance (Dynacord amps are optimized for use with EV speaker systems). One is dedicated to each bi-amped EVH-1152D, while the fourth
The speakers feature Electro-Voice’s fully weatherized design option amp powers the two subwoofers. One interesting problem posed was the fact that there are no other buildings near the scoreboard. As Brent Thornhill, President of Southwest Building Systems, explains, “Normally we house the amplifiers in a nearby fieldhouse, but that was over 500 feet away. We wanted to put the Dynacord amps close to the speakers, so we came up with an outdoor-rated, climate-controlled rack room to put them in. We call it The Fridge.” The speakers feature Electro-Voice’s fully weatherized design option, with fiberglass cabinets, powder-coated stainless steel 23
grilles with hydrophobic mesh, and water-tight input panel covers. The loudspeakers are housed in an enclosure above the new video scoreboard, providing further weather protection while keeping them out of sight. “We like to provide a sleek, integrated look to our end zone systems,” says Thornhill. “The enclosure has a special black fabric cover that blocks out the wind-driven Texas rain but doesn’t interfere with the sound. We printed them with the school logos, so they look like part of the scoreboard.” As a final touch, the announcer’s microphone in the press box was outfitted with the Electro-Voice PC Desktop-18, a gooseneck design with sturdy, weighted steel base and selectable pick-up pattern from the PolarChoice range. Fans, teams, coaches and administrators of both the Magnolia Bulldogs and Magnolia West Mustangs are impressed with the way things are sounding: “We’ve had nothing but awesome reactions from everyone. People are blown away by the sound,” reports Robert Patty of Magnolia ISD. “Now we can really get the place
rocking, from the time the team comes out of the locker room and all through the game. Our superintendent was there for the first game, and came over and told me, ‘Man, this sounds like a rock concert!’ It’s really brought our whole football program to a higher level, just like we hoped. We couldn’t be happier.”
Fans, teams, coaches and administrators of both the Magnolia Bulldogs and Magnolia West Mustangs are impressed with the way things are sounding: “We’ve had nothing but awesome reactions from everyone. People are blown away by the sound,” reports Robert Patty of Magnolia ISD. 24
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Case Study: Walton Central Shool District By Advanced Network Devices
Challenges: Failing paging system. Antiquated phone system. Emergency preparedness. Solution: Advanced Network Devices IP Displays Communicate announcements and safety instructions. Singlewire lnformaCast Mass Notification Software Manage messaging, emergency alerts, and IP endpoints. Cisco Unified CM — Manage paging, intercom, emergency calls, and messaging. Results Comprehensive IP based mass notificaiton system. Effective and efficient safety and security processes and procedures.
Hybrid Paging Solution Since 2017, Rick Robinson, the Director of Technology and Safety Coordinator at Walton Central School District (WCSD) has been actively overseeing and integrating the
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mass notification and security technology for all three schools in the district. After realizing it was time to upgrade their antiquated phone system, WCSD received a grant from the Smart Schools Bond Act, which provided enough funds to upgrade and invest in a robust mass notification system. Robinson recalls, “when we started looking at the phones, we immediately moved to Cisco due to its ability to trigger and receive messages. lnformaCast software naturally integrated with Cisco phones, and then Advanced Network Devices products naturally were the easiest and most reliable to hook up onto the lnformaCast system.” Advanced Network Devices (ANetD) products were selected to replace WCSD’s failing paging system. Robinson tactfully phased in the new paging system by taking advantage of ANetD zone
“One of the best things we liked about your product is the fact that it’s plug and play.” Rick Robinson, Director of Technology and Safety Coordinator, WCSD
“We just installed them, plugged them in, and they immediately had the colors we wanted to display.”
Plug and Play IP Devices Setting up a robust mass notification system is no easy task, especially when it involves integrating disparate systems and devices. Robinson was pleased with the ease of setting up the IP devices.
Robinson praised the installation process, detailing, “when we were setting up our PLUG AND PLAY IP DEVICES system, we spent twenty to thirty minutes controllers to conserve project funds. He setting up your configuration file and did explained, “we want to completely Setting up adidn’t robust mass notification system is no easy programming in place, we plug it in, give it power, and it spend any setting upunderstands your actual it involves integrating immediately reads thetime configuration file and replacetask, theespecially pagingwhen system, because it disparate not systems and devices. Robinson was pleased with the devices. exactly where it should the priority level. plugged We just rank installed them, would be too expensive to replace all of the ease of setting up the IP devices. them“We in, and theyinstalled immediately had the speakers in the classrooms. So we decided just them, Robinson installation process, detailing, colors we wanted to display. One of the to purchase 30praised to 35the of the double-sided plugged them in, and they “when we were setting up our system, we spent twenty best things we liked about your product is IP devices and install them throughout the to thirty minutes setting up your configuration file and immediately had the colors we did Then, not spend time down setting upthe yourfailing actual devices. the fact that it’s plug and play. We run the hallways. weany took wanted to display.” just installed them, plugged them in, and they cable, we already had the programming paging We system, replaced the head unit that immediately had the colors we wanted to display. One of supported allthings of the analog speakers the best we liked about your product isin thethe fact that in place, we plug it in, give it power, and it it’s plugand and play. We run the cable, already had the immediately reads the configuration file and classrooms, connected it to we the zone understands exactly where it should rank controller. WCSD MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEMthe priority level.
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Emergency Planning In the configuration file, Robinson assigned each emergency type with a set of rules using priority levels. That way, when a specific emergency is triggered, each ANetD device instantly displays the corresponding message, graphic, sound, and indicator. “We utilize your configuration file and installed that inside of the lnformaCast server, and we use the priority feature for the most part. So, priority two is a lockdown, three is a lockout, four is a hold in place, five is a fire alarm.”
door so that anytime a door is left open for a specified period of time, Robinson and other administrators receive an email notification. Robinson will also receive footage of the two closest cameras pointing at the door, which has significantly helped each school monitor potential security breaches on a daily basis.
In addition to leveraging scrolling messaging and sounds for emergencies, the flashing indicators play a critical role in each type of emergency. The flashers prove especially important for their students with impaired hearing when communicating emergencies.
Optimal Emergency Response WCSD also installed an IP based security camera surround system and a door access control system for lockdowns and hold in place procedures. When a lockdown is triggered, lnformaCast sets off all the ANetD devices and locks down the doors. They also installed two IP cameras by each exterior
“For each priority level, we utilize a different function of your strobes, so a hold in place is red, a lockdown is all three strobes blinking fast, a fire alarm is a fast blinking white strobe.” 28
Before Walton Central School District upgraded their notification system, their methods for triggering an emergency notification were time-consuming and lacked efficiency. Today, the district can launch a series of alerts, instantly lock down the building, and notify emergency responders with the push of a button. WCSD is committed to continuous improvement in their security technology and procedures by coordinating on a monthly basis with their local emergency notification groups. They have also showcased their efforts to the local school districts to share best practices for school safety, a mission that every school is striving to achieve.
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How Illinois Wesleyan University Utilized Huddly Cameras and Creativity to Find Success with Nontraditional Teaching Modes in Unique Spaces By Huddly
Creating a Video Conferencing Environment That Provides Flexibility for Faculty and Students Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) is a nationally recognized, highly selective liberal arts university that takes prides in providing a traditional in-person residential experience, small class sizes, 30
and direct connections between the students and faculty. However, when Covid began in early 2020, IWU quickly realized that they needed to figure out how they were going to be able to successfully teach in new hybrid and high flexibility teaching modes and unique spaces. They started the process by contacting their AV integrator Business Development Rep, Christine Street, and asked her to send them a few Meeting Owl cameras to try. Christine mentioned Huddly cameras to them as well, so they ordered a few of the Meeting Owls and Huddly IQ cameras to quickly demo and evaluate to determine which one they were going to deploy. Once they knew that they were going to move forward with the Huddly IQs, the IT team at IWU manually created a mobile cart solution that consisted of a 65” TV display with a Huddly IQ camera on top of the display, along with a MAC mini. This innovative solution allowed them to turn a lot of nontraditional classroom spaces into classrooms. With social distance guidelines in place, they converted spaces that would
typically hold 300 people but could now only allow 25-30 people at a time. With this cart, they were able to roll the equipment around to different instructional places and be able to support more people in unique spaces.
an auditorium, they could hear somebody in the back row. The Huddly IQs also play a unique role in IWU’s School of Nursing simulation lab on campus. The instructors leading the simulation wanted to see that the students were dispensing the right medications to the “patients”. IWU mounted a Huddly IQ camera to the ceiling and ran a cable to the
Fall 2020 arrived and students were back on campus when IWU community members quickly noticed two things - the mobile cart innovation is an absolute success, and the Huddly IQ “(Huddly IQ) really added the flexibility cameras are fantastic. IWU needed to support the various teaching was not only blown away by modes our faculty were teaching in, which the quality of image that the allowed teaching and learning to continue camera was portraying, but through the pandemic.” also by the microphone array Trey Short, Senior Instructional Technologist, that is embedded inside of the Illinois Wesleyan University Huddly IQ camera. When they placed a Huddly IQ camera in
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control room. Then students requested a better video and audio solution for the observation room, so they added a second Huddly IQ to the simulation room. This second Huddly IQ camera is on top of an iMac and records the simulation, giving the students who are observing in
“Intech chose the Huddly L1 as the camera to list on this proposal because of the AI that is in it; they (IWU) won’t have to have somebody running the touch panel to steer a camera, the camera will take care of that for us - it just seemed like the perfect fit for that space. I think the L1 is definitely going to be a game changer.” John McCrary, Vice President, Intech Innovations the observation room a “front row seat” to view the action.
to move the camera around as needed and find the best fit in any situation.
Fast forward to early 2022, Covid is slowing down, and this mobile cart solution is still being used every day. This creation started as a temporary solution, but now IWU is considering how they can incorporate it even more today. They are currently trying a couple of different mounting options for the Huddly IQ, testing mounting the Huddly IQ with a tripod onto the instructor’s station versus placing the Huddly IQ on a magnetic mount with a flexible arm. These solutions are giving faculty members the flexibility
Now IWU’s Welcome Center Auditorium is finally getting the upgrade it deserves, which will include Huddly’s new intelligent camera for larger spaces - the Huddly L1. Two Huddly L1 cameras will live in the auditorium; one in the front and one in the back. With these two cameras, they will be able to switch between the two, depending on if they want an audience view or presenter view. If everything goes well, once the Huddly L1 is installed in the auditorium, they will look at adding Huddly L1s to their other larger spaces.
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Huddly: the intelligent camera choice for Education When quality, stability and ease of deployment are a priority, many educational institutions choose Huddly as their solution. Key benefits to Huddly cameras in educational institutions consist of: • Wide-angle lens allows you to place the camera closer to the instructor and/or can capture more students in the room. • Lighting Correction will focus on how faces are exposed and will adjust settings to optimize people being seen. • Time-to-Setup is reduced with power and data through a single USB 3.0 cable. • Our whiteboard camera can turn any whiteboard into content that can be shared remotely. It also enhances pen markings and eliminates glare and shadow. “I was amazed at the technology that’s in that little box, it (Huddly IQ) is so tiny and light, it’s no bigger than an old roll of film box, and the quality is just unbelievable.” Michael Limacher, Classroom and Media Technology Services Specialist, Illinois Wesleyan University
“We have 16 classrooms that are considered traditional video conferencing that are using a Cisco codec, Cisco cameras, etc. they are great systems, but they are expensive. The biggest thing is that I’m getting a very similar experience with what those cameras are doing that are 3-4 times as expensive with the Huddly L1 and IQ. So, for me to be able to take and create an experience that is almost equal for a fraction of the cost is a huge benefit. It certainly makes it a lot more scalable.” David Walker, Manager of AV Design and Zoom Admin, Georgia Southern University “The teachers like the Huddly GOs because of their resolution and the way that they can set them up on tripods is a much better fit than any other camera that we have had. But the video quality and resolution of the GO was at the top of their list.” Marcus Chaney, Director of Instructional Technology, Danville Public Schools "When I recommend the technology to customers, I leverage customer success. After having multiple wins with Huddly being able to repeat success and creating happy Huddly customers, it was easy for me to recommend Huddly to Danville City Public Schools." Greg Henderson, Regional Sales Manager, CDW
Reach out to ussales@huddly.com today to learn more about our education program, Huddly Honor Roll, and how you can receive up to 10% off MSRP today.
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Blinn College: Case Study Delivering an Inclusive Learning Experience with MXA710 Linear Array Microphone By Shure
Challenge: Like many learning institutions, Blinn College had to quickly adjust how its students studied during the Covid-19 pandemic. A hybrid learning model was the only way to ensure all students had the opportunity to access classes either from home or in the classroom. This required adding video conferencing systems to more than 250 classrooms across the college’s five campuses. Solution: Blinn College chose Shure’s MXA710 Linear Array Microphones as the standard across all 250+ rooms. These can be placed almost anywhere, and the college opted for ceiling-mounted systems 34
suspended along the ceiling tile grids, offering unobtrusive audio coverage across entire rooms. Benefit: With Shure’s solution implemented across all five campuses, the college can deliver an inclusive learning experience, whether students are joining from home via a collaboration platform or attending in-person.
The Story Challenge: like many learning institutions, Blinn College had to quickly adjust how its students studied during the Covid-19 pandemic. A hybrid learning model was the only way to ensure all students had the opportunity to access classes either from home or in the classroom. This required adding video conferencing systems to more than 250 classrooms across the college’s five campuses. Further, this hybrid learning model had to offer students at home the same audio experience as those in the classroom. As if enabling 250+ classrooms to reach any student at home wasn’t a big enough challenge, the new AV capabilities had to be up and running in just five weeks to be ready for the new fall semester. This challenging timeframe and project scope could only be met with a truly collaborative partnership between the college, the local AV system integrator Visionality, and Shure as the manufacturer of the AV solution. Solution: Blinn College chose Shure’s MXA710 Linear Array Microphones as the standard across all 250+ rooms. These can be placed almost anywhere, and the college opted for ceiling-mounted systems suspended along the ceiling tile grids, offering unobtrusive audio coverage across entire rooms. MXA710 includes proprietary
“We have found the microphone with its multiple adjustable lobes of pickup areas does a great job of capturing the audio in a typical classroom. Managing so many rooms is challenging. Shure’s SystemOn is a great tool to manage the microphones from a central website where we can make gain adjustments as needed, see their status and keep the software updated.” Michael Welch Dean, Academic Technology. Services – Blinn College can be easily monitored and maintained, with controllers able to upgrade, check versions, check what’s live and what’s not live all from a central control point. The MXA710 was combined with Shure’s ANIUSB-MATRIX USB audio network interface, which provides easy connectivity over a single network The solution also featured Shure’s SystemOn cable. Seamless integration with a tracking audio asset management software, designed camera from Aver Media completed the to simplify asset management. This system solution. Shure IntelliMix® Digital Signal Processing (DSP), which is designed to optimize voice quality by reducing room noise and improving speech intelligibility. This makes it an ideal choice for ensuring students learning from home can capture every word.
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In a project of this size, Shure’s commitment to meeting delivery schedules was critical. Further, Shure provided on-site training for Visionality and Blinn staff so they could quickly implement the solution. Shure’s technical team was on call around the clock for any installation queries, ensuring a flawless integration and deployment. Advantages: Blinn College prides itself on online courses that offer “a flexible, convenient, and affordable option.” With Shure’s solution implemented across all five campuses, the college can deliver an inclusive learning experience, whether students are joining from home via a collaboration platform or attending in-
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person. The SystemOn solution makes it a simple process for the college’s AV team to monitor and control system use, freeing up users to focus on the task of teaching and learning. This installation showed just what could be accomplished with the right teamwork, project management and, of course, technology. The pace of the installation could only be achieved by tremendous effort and teamwork between the Visionality crew and Blinn College staff. Blinn and Visionality both had a positive, can-do attitude, which made the teamwork seamless. While technology issues could have caused delays, the Shure technology proved to be both reliable and could be executed quickly. The immediate response from the college users regarding the speed of implementation and the quality of the audio was ‘high fives’ all around.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF DISTANCE AND HYBRID LEARNING Classrooms continue to evolve — and so do Poly classroom solutions. Our video, voice and content sharing products and services empower educators to adapt to the changes and deliver exceptional learning experiences, in and out of the classroom.
IMPROVE YOUR CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE CLASSROOM SOLUTIONS OFFER
Intelligent video conferencing bars and systems for remote teaching.
An equal voice in the classroom with intuitive conference phones.
Broadcast-quality video conferencing cameras.
Easy concentration with noise-blocking enterprise-grade headphones.
Unparalleled audio clarity with USB and Bluetooth speakerphones.
Portable, light-correcting webcams that connect to any device.
Quality audio wherever you go thanks to enterprise-grade headsets.
REMOTE SOLUTIONS OFFER
The best angle via video conferencing cameras with a 74-degree view.
To learn more about Poly’s end-to-end classroom solutions contact your Starin representative. ©2022 Poly. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 4.22 1742950
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Novo Ecosystem Wireless and Collaborative Presentation Solution By Vivitek
In most countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every facet of society. In particular, it has had a marked influence on education, with almost 1 billion learners around the world being forced to work in hybrid learning and non-instructional spaces.
Challenges in Education beyond COVID-19 With many governments implementing stringent social distancing measures, school closures have been occurring progressively around the world 38
since January. This has forced educators to rethink their approach to teaching, and governments, school administrators, teachers, and students have all had to adapt to a sudden change in how classes are taught. Schools and universities have been experimenting with different teaching formats, utilizing various technologies, such as apps to disseminate class content and video conferencing to host classes, and many are still trying to work out the best way to teach effectively with these. Teachers have had to develop new teaching material and effective means to deliver class content while monitoring student progress, and students. To say that this has been challenging is an understatement. Schools in many countries are looking to reopen again in the near future. Many are considering implementing a combination of in-person and distance learning approaches, and they are largely still figuring out how to design high-quality, equitable instruction in the face of social distancing. With hybrid
teaching styles and non-instructional teaching presentation systems offer a means to overcome some of the difficulties schools may face with social distancing regulations that are expected to be in place when schools reopen. Teachers and students will require technologies that make it easier for teachers, students, and school administrators to communicate and collaborate more effectively.
Driving Collaboration with a Versatile Solution With growing attention on new teaching methods to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties involved in implementing them, it is critical for schools to adopt solutions that are not only simple and efficient, but they must also offer longterm investment value.
One ideal solution is Vivitek’s Novo Ecosystem, which includes the NovoConnect and NovoDS solutions. NovoConnect is a powerful wireless collaboration tool that is simple and efficient to use, making it easy to teach and share information across multiple spaces. Students and teachers can easily share content from their personal devices to larger screens, offering flexibility that encourages interaction and enhances discussion. It is simple to connect, with support for BYOD, remote apps, and QR codes for instant access via your computer, phone, or tablet device. It facilitates content sharing by making content viewable on large screens, including split screen capability and AES256 encryption for security. It is also easy and versatile to configure from a single piece of software, making management easy. 39
As an All-inOne solution, NovoTouch interactive displays are versatile touch panel displays that combine wireless collaboration, digital whiteboard, and active announcement board functionality. They can be used by up to 64 people at the same time, by either interacting directly with the screen or connecting wirelessly from a digital device. With a built-in browser and casting support for iOS Airplay, Android Google Home, and the NovoConnect app, these interactive displays are highly flexible for instructors and students, delivered in 4K brilliance. The screen sharing feature in particular could easily be utilized to divide students into small groups to collaborate while maintaining social distance. On the other hand, schools can broadcast messages through the NovoDS digital signage solution, which is a very affordable and simple, network-based solution that combines the hardware and software that schools will need to create engaging, dynamic visual displays. Creating content is easy and intuitive, with draw and drop support, online widgets, and customizable templates. Rich content
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can be scheduled with multimedia and 4K support. Moreover, content can be managed centrally via the cloud and mobile devices, and modify remotely by API solution for third-party platforms. To maintain social distancing, schools can utilize digital signage systems to centrally design, publish, and manage messages or learning materials to multiple displays at the same time. It offers the potential to completely trans-form traditional classrooms by allowing classes to work together from different rooms, and also provides a means for broadcasting important information. Novo Ecosystem is the simplest and most secure way for schools to realize wireless collaboration throughout their entire environment, including in classrooms, lecture halls, libraries, and other staff facilities. It is a logical and affordable solution to the challenges that schools will be facing as they reopen.
NovoTouch EK653i, EK753i, EK863i
NovoTouch All-in-One Collaborative Touch Panel Suited for both Corporate and Education Users The NovoTouch is the ultimate All-in-One Touch
Features
Panel, that combines a 4K –UHD resolution, Wireless
4K-UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution
Collaboration, Video Conferencing, Digital Whiteboard,
In-Plane Switching (IPS-ADS) panel technology
and Digital Signage functionalities. Designed to take
offers outstanding detail and stunning visuals
business meetings or education sessions to a new level
with Hyper-Viewing Angle
of collaboration and interaction. With the NovoConnect
Flawless touch annotation provides high accuracy,
built in solution, meeting participants can extend the
fast response time and smooth gesture recognition
laptop screen to the flat panel and compare information
Anti-glare and durable surface protects against
and collaborate with each other. The moderator feature
scratches or screen damage
keeps you in control of the meeting, while on-screen
Android 8.0 and Google G-suite
annotation allows for collaboration in real time. The
are pre-installed, along with many Apps
NovoTouch is fully compatible with the ever-popular
Remote Manager for centralized device
BYOD practice. Meanwhile, hybrid meetings with on-site
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and remote participants are facilitated with the video
AES-256 Encryption, Password Protected,
conferencing capabilities that include pre-installed
Dual Network Environment, ISO 27001 Certified
Zoom, Teams or Skype for Business. Furthermore, the
Available in sizes 65’’, 75” and 86’’
NovoTouch panel can be switched from collaboration to Digital Signage mode in between meetings to transform idle screens into digital announcement boards.
www.vivitek.eu | www.novoconnect.eu
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A Southeast Oklahoma Success Story from Howe Schools By Salamander
in 195 countries have been part of remote or blended learning as education migrated from the classroom to laptops in locations spread far and wide. This varying geographical location of students and teachers has been a great challenge for all types of schools. Educators, students and families are adapting and seeking fresh solutions. And while we are seeing some classes back in person, most every class now has a combination of local and remote people, and we can expect that this is here for the long haul. Fortunately, companies like Zoom and Salamander Designs offer some big, yet easy-to-deploy solutions that are bringing great engagement and productivity to all regardless of where people are located.
How Zoom and Salamander are Supporting Today’s Educational Gaps and Needs The American educational system that evolved based on the concept of students always gathering together at a central location has changed dramatically, and perhaps even forever. Today’s classroom is often a hybrid mixture of students who are on campus and students who are learning from home. In just 2020 alone, per UNESCO, over 1.5 billion children 42
Lance Ford has 27 years of experience as a teacher and understands the past, the present and how to look forward for all stakeholders. Thanks to his passion, he has produced some ways for educators to rethink their spaces and technology to create optimum learning systems for today’s world.
Howe Schools Take on Tech for Modern Learning
Chris Discotto, Director of Sales at Salamander Designs, collaborated closely with Lance from the Salamander angle to design and deploy remote learning solutions faster and with lower infrastructure costs, while bringing optimum engagement for all participants.
Howe Public Schools in Howe, Oklahoma, is an awesome, real-world example of education for today – and tomorrow. We met up with Lance Ford, a member of the Howe faculty and a Zoom Room educator. Flexible Classroom Designed to While Lance enjoys teaching, he also enjoys creating the most engaging learning Support Students Today environments. How does he do it? He helps Lance and Chris shared several flexible educators leverage all the power of current technology to assist them with the best ways approaches to creating classroom environments conducive to concurrent local to instruct their students. and remote teaching, based on individual During the past year, Lance envisioned and needs. Several of these are in full use at deployed “superpowered” learning systems Howe Public Schools now and taking hybrid using Zoom, Zoom Rooms and Salamander education to a whole new level thanks to Designs furniture. His goal was to find a way this team. to bring all students together, regardless of Making Mobile Classrooms if they were seated in the classroom or at home. And he set out to make all students “Teachers with hybrid learning struggle equal for interacting, engaging and learning. to be seen and heard by remote students
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and vice versa,” said Lance. “We combined a Zoom Room device, a screen and a Salamander mobile cart for learning. The beauty of this solution is that our own students can physically relocate the system. This is happening right now in my high school classes. Even when I’m not there, students are moving this self-contained system to where they need it, plugging it in, and everyone is showing and sharing in an instant!”
Tech in an educational setting is all about the technology getting out of the way and providing maximum flexibility to students. And the Howe community is doing just that.
Enabling Ebb + Flow Classrooms Live instruction in classrooms often requires large group gatherings where all students may get initial information, followed by individual breakout sessions. Lance also happens to be a music teacher. In the past, he would bring the entire class together for singing. This was followed by smaller group breakouts by musical section. Lance 44
Electric lift for screens and low wall construction makes this a dream solution explained that reorganizing from large to smaller workgroups keeps students more engaged and attention focused. While this sounds great, it presents a challenge for educators now that learners are in separate locations. By using a slick combination of large screens on new, thin Salamander Strut Walls (full inventory available in 2022), cameras, mics and other branded mobile tables, classrooms can be reconfigured in literally minutes. Zoom rooms can even build an “acoustic fence” around small groups so that remote students only hear the mics of the group they are working with and don’t hear distracting chatter from other groups in the room! Best of all, remote students never feel left out, as now they are part of the full group and the break outs. Salamander ADAcompliant features can be added such as guard rails for the blind. And electric lift for screens and low wall construction makes this a dream solution. All wiring is hidden to prevent issues, while power setups allow for instant connection to computers and other devices as needed.
“This ebb and flow solution helps engagement, as everyone can move around, sit, stand and even work together at small huddle stations where they can lay their work out and interact with someone on the large display as if they were in the room together.”
a vital role. These allow teachers to position screens and set the classroom in seconds for students everywhere.”
Getting to Class Made Easy
Zoom technology even mitigates the old “couldn’t find the room” excuse that students used for being late for class. Zoom Deploying Distant Education offers digital signage and can deliver Push Rooms Notifications to keep students abreast of venue changes, for example. In Kiosk Some Howe classrooms require a purposeMode, using a technology called “Hot built, larger system for hybrid learning. Desking,” displays in a Zoom Room can Per Lance, “Lots of universities have been serve as an interactive floorplan map that seeking this for some time. Covid brought directs students to the right place and this to the forefront and now we’re making it allows students and instructors to schedule a reality.” available rooms in seconds. In this configuration, through use of Zoom, multiple cameras and large screens on a dual cabinet by Salamander, students offsite can see the classroom, the teacher and even an annotation white board. Everyone sees what’s happening, while the classroom teacher and students can see all the remote students on one of the monitors while content is shared on another.
Education for Today – And the Future
“This setup is so, so powerful,” shares Lance. “Verbal and nonverbal feedback is most
“We even have deployed today’s Student Union which consists of gaming and other fun technologies that are available in the open yet employ lock down of the components. With no wall construction necessary, this elevates every activity area for college campuses.”
This setup is so, so powerful easily shared. Presenters and students alike can view all participants—and that creates the feeling that remote students are transported into the classroom and part of all the interaction.” Adds Chris Discotto, “These education rooms are a place where Salamander stands with height-adjustable monitor attachments play
Overcoming today’s learning challenges isn’t easy but it’s possible. Embracing modern technology like Zoom and technology infrastructure like Salamander Designs furniture is the first big step it the right direction for many schools.
Shares Lance, “This distance and separation is common, and it’s something we are perfectly capable of solving with the right thinking, technology and furniture. It’s been inspiring and fun to implement at Howe, and together with Salamander, we enjoy being at the forefront of education for our students.” 45
FOR EDUCATION
MEETUP CONFERENCECAM
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Logitech MeetUp makes it easy to bring high-quality video collaboration to small classrooms, conference rooms, and remote teaching spaces. This all-in-one ConferenceCam enables educators to move naturally during instruction, creating an engaging learning experience for all students, regardless of location. Case Study: Farragut High School To ensure continuity of learning and promote student engagement in her virtual and hybrid classes, Señora Allison Maldonado, an Advanced Placement Spanish teacher with more than 30 years of teaching experience, turned to Logitech for her classroom solutions. LEARN MORE
Teachers Helping Teachers Visit Señora Maldonado’s channel to learn more about how she set up her hybrid classroom. Video #1: MeetUp Installation & Setup Video #2: Using the Logitech MeetUp 46
LOGITECH SCRIBE Effortlessly share whiteboards into video meetings with Logitech Scribe, an AI-powered whiteboard camera for Microsoft Teams® Rooms, Zoom RoomsTM, and other leading video conferencing services.
WHITEBOARD CAMERA FOR VIDEO CONFERENCING ROOMS Designed for whiteboard sharing in the modern workplace, Logitech Scribe broadcasts content on dry erase boards into video meetings with outstanding clarity. Now, even remote participants can have the best seat at the table. With a clean wall-mounted design and thoughtful cable management, Scribe installs elegantly and out of the way of meeting collaboration. Together with the whiteboard content camera, Scribe includes a wireless share button, mounting components, power supply, and category cables for deployment at scale. 47
PTZ Optics Case Study: University of Toronto By PTZ Optics
system virtual, Professor St-Cyr discovered PTZOptics. The university used a PTZOptics USB camera to not only educate students virtually with Zoom, but to continue using many assets of the classroom for its designed purpose. Let’s take a look at how.
Setup Details PTZOptics Camera PTZOptics pan, tilt, zoom cameras are perfect for live streaming. Set over 200 presets and send video over SDI, USB, HDMI, or IP.
Learn About This Technology Enhanced Active Learning Studio The global pandemic has forced educators across the world to adapt their teaching styles. This challenge has produced a multitude of innovative learning models. The University of Toronto has curated a unique solution to continue interactive learning in their Technology Enhanced Active Learning Design Studio. Professor Olivier St-Cyr spearheaded the design of an incredible interactive learning system for the university’s Master of Information students. This system was originally designed to enable students in the classroom to work on hands-on projects while being able to project wirelessly on the TVs using the Kramer VIA technology. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, COVID-19 left the room dormant. Determined to turn th is state-of-the-art 48
Kramer Kramer offers an extensive and innovative pro AV portfolio of products and solutions for Corporate, Education, Houses of Worship, Government, Live Events, Healthcare, and more. Zoom Zoom offers enterprise video conferencing with real-time messaging and content sharing.
Presentation Hardware The Kramer presentation solution included the VIA Connect PRO and VIA Connect PLUS. This system was originally intended to allow students and the professor to digitally collaborate and present within the classroom. The system has been adjusted to meet the needs of virtual learning, allowing the professor to project different students’ work on the multiple monitors in the classroom. This allows students to continue contributing to the flipped classroom model the professor wanted, collaborating and problem solving during class time.
Broadcasting in Education Simple USB Solution: The PTZOptics 12X USB camera offers the university a simple plug-and- play solution to control their camera in Zoom, to pan around the room to different boards, and to communicate with students and faculty in high-definition video.
Virtual Presentation: The Kramer VIA Connect Pro units are used to wirelessly project from laptops running Zoom onto the TVs around the room, so the professor can assign students to breakout rooms, and be able to see the students work for each breakout room.
Virtual Communication: The university communicates with students via Zoom to share assignments, to collaborate in breakout rooms, and to share lectures.
Professor St-Cyr uses the PTZOptics USB camera on a tripod to switch between a view of himself and his whiteboard, to a series of monitors around the room. He uses the camera presets and pan settings to switch from position to position. He can control these features all within Zoom over UVC. 49
SimplTrack Lite An Auto-Tracking Camera for Everyone Compatible with Any Platform NDI®|HX, USB 2.0, IP, SDI, and HDMI compatibility makes the SimplTrack Lite easy to integrate with the systems you already have. Also compatible with most videoconferencing, streaming, lecture capture and learning management system platforms. The built-in 3.5mm audio jack can be connected to any external microphone.
Auto-Tracking Features Smooth, automatic motion tracking and facial framing up to 55ft with focus up to 20X in 1080p at 60fps (30fps USB) with up to 270° rotation and 59.5° FoV. Use the included USB 2.0 cable to connect to any computer and start auto-tracking. Want to limit your tracking range? Set preset zones to keep the camera centered on whiteboards, conference tables, and more.
Flexible Deployment Options Featuring PoE (802.3af), plus multiple mounting configurations available to meet the needs of any indoor setting, including inverted mounting. Want more control? Enable Manual Mode via IP or the included RS-232 cable to operate the SimplTrack Lite with included IR remote, a PTZ camera joystick controller, or camera control apps.
MSRP:
$1,649 USD
SKU: HC20X-SIMPLTRACKLITE
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